Reclining chair



May 17, 1949. H. NIEDERHAUSER RECLINING CHAIR Filed vJune 4, 1947 7% INVEN'II'OR.

Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECLINING CHAIR Homer Niederhauser, Berne, Ind.

Application June 4, 1947, Serial No. 752,332

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in a reclining chair of that type in which the backrest and the seat are supported in a frame and in which they are adjustably movable.

Ordinarily, chairs having an adjustable backrest and seat have mechanism by which to move the back-rest and seat into desired positions, and for securing the same in various positions of adjustment.

An object of the instant invention is to construct a chair in such manner that the back-rest and the seat are pivotally supported in the chair frame and operably connected together for concurrent movement responsive to changing postures assumed by the occupant.

Another object of the invention is to afford a chair having a movable back-rest and seat pivotally supported and connected together in such manner that movement of the back-rest and seat is interdependent and concurrent.

And a further object of the invention is to provide an easy chair having an adjustable backrest and seat that is of simple construction and of few parts.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevational views of a chair in which the invention is incorporated, the back-rest and seat being shown in different positions of adjustments;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary side elevational views, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the relative positions of parts of the back-rest and seat in opposite positions; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 3 approximately on the line m--a: thereof.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a chair-frame, indicated generally by A, having iorelegs 6, rear legs I, arm-rests 8 and parallel horizontal side rails 9-40, spaced apart connecting the fore and back legs.

A back-rest II is pivotally mounted upon a cross-rod l2 that is supported by the rear legs I, and a seat-frame I3 is similarly pivoted upon another cross-rod 14 located back of the forelegs and supported by the lower side rails Hi.

In the bottoms of the upper side rails 9 are made longitudinal kerfs l5, and longitudinal rabbets iii are made in the tops of the lower side rails ill in which corresponding slides ii are disposed ior longitudinal sliding movement therein. Vertically disposed plates 18 are secured at their lower ends in the slides and move therewith, and the upper edges of said plates extend into and have sliding movement in the corresponding kerfs 15 in the upper side rails. The plates i8 have made therein arcuate downwardly divergent slots iii-20 through which extend correspondingly the ends of cross-rods 2l-22 that are supported respectively in the lower end of the back-rest frame H and the rear end of the seat-frame 13, have guided movement in said slots as the back-rest and seat are moved pivotally upon their respective rod supports, and the plates l8 accommodatingly have sliding movement in the side rails concurrently with the movement of the back-rest and seat-frame. The slides H are confined in the rabbets l6 by retaining plates 23 secured on the inner faces of the lower side rails.

Upholstery for the structure shown, not being a particular feature of the invention, has been omitted from the drawings.

In using the chair, when the occupant is seated erect, the preponderance of his weight is then born by the rear portion of the seat, causing downward guided movement of the cross-rod 22 in the slots 20 in the sliding plates 18, rearward movement of the plates, and consequent swinging of the back-rest into upright position. When the occupant assumes a reclining position, the preponderance of the weight upon the seat is relieved by pressure of the occupants body against the back-rest, whereupon the back-rest is then tilted rearwardly upon its pivot-rod l2 into a reclining position, thus causing the cross-rod 2| to move upwardly in the slots IS in the plates and consequent tilting movement of the seat upon its pivot-rod M, so the rear end of the seat is elevated and the lower end of the back-rest is concurrently raised, which movements are limited by the cross-rods 2 l22 upon reaching the upper ends of the slots in the plate l8. By this arrangement movements of the seat, back-rest and plates iii are synchronous when moved in either direction, dependent upon positions assumed by the occupant.

Variations from the particular construction above disclosed may be resorted to by the exercise of skill in the art, without departure from the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A reclining chair consisting of a frame having forelegs, rear legs, arm-rests, and parallel side rails spaced apart connecting said fore and rear legs, the upper side rails having longitudinal kerfs in their under portions, said lower side rails having rabbets in their upper portions, slides having longitudinal movement in said rabbets, retaining plates secured to the lower side rails confining said slides in said rabbets, a movable plate secured on each slide, the upper edge thereof extending into and having movement in the kerf of the corresponding upper side rail, each movable plate having arcuate downwardly divergent slots, a seat-frame pivotally supported in the chair-frame provided at its rear end with a cross-rod, the ends of which extend through and have guided movement in the foremost slots'in said-movable plates aandaa back-rest pivotally supported in;::thevchair.=frame provided at its lower end with another cross-rod, the ends of which extend through and have guided move-- ment in the rearmost slots in said movable plates, so that tilting of the seat and back-rest frames is concurrent.

2. In a reclining chair, a chair-frame having a pair of parallel side rails for ea-chsidethereof-y plates having guided sliding movement on: ,theside rails and provided with arcuate downwardly m divergentslots, a seat-framepivotally supported. on the'lo'wer side' rails provided .at its rear. end. with a cross-rodflextending.tlirough the foremost slots in ,said. plates. and. having guided movement threin,.andiia backrestpivotally mounted in the chair-frame. Provided. at. its lower end. with another ,cross-rod'extending intothe rearmost slotsinisaid plates and havingguided movement. therein. so that tiltingv of..the .seateframe is a companied .by a correspondingmovement. of .the. 3g back-rest. frame- 3. A..reclining.,chair.. consisting of a chairframe,..- plates :having ..horizontal.. guided sliding movement, respectively, in .the ,opposite sides of the chair-frame, and provided with arcuate downwardly divergent..slots,-..a..tilting seat-frame supported in,,the. chair-frame, provided at its rear end with means extendingintoithe foremost slotsinsaid. platesfor, .guidedmovement therein; and. a -.tilting .back,.-.rest,.supportedin the chair, 4-" frame provided at; its. lower; end with, another. means. ,extending..,-into the.rearmost. slots in said. plates, for guidedmovement. therein, so that tilting .of. the. seat-.frame;-is. accompanied ,by- .correspending movementof .thebackerest frame.

4.. A reclining chainhavinga chair-frame. pro-;. vided. with .guideewaysJocated in each; side thereof, sliding,plates.. having.guided movement. in said. guideeways and.- provided. with down.- wardly divergent. guide-.slots.- therein, a tilting seat-frame. supportedtin the; chair-frame, pro-.- videdwith: means having? guided..-movement in Number 1 the foremost of the guide-slots therein, and a tilting back-rest supported in the chair-frame, provided with another means having guided movement in the rearmost of the guide-slots therein, so that tilting of either the seat-frame or the back-rest is accompanied by corresponding movement of the other.

5. A reclining chair consisting of a chair-frame having a plate movably supported in each side thereof iprovided 'with guide-s1ots, a tilting seatframe supportedi in thew. chair-framehaving operative engagement with said plates for movement guided by slots therein, and a tilting backrest. supported in said chair-frame having operativeengagement with said plates for movement-guidedibypther slots therein, so that tilting of the seat-frame and back-rest frame is concurrent:

6. .A reclining chair consisting of a chair-frame, a tilting seat-frame member supported in said chaireframa. a...tilting,., back-rest .member supported .in. said-.chair=f-rame, and. plates supported... in .said. chair-frame having guided. longitudinal,

sliding movement... therein. and...provided i with divergent .guideeslots,,.said seat=frame and backe rests membersi. having connections. respectively. with said. (plates. .for. guided; movement in. .the corresponding. slots. ,therein,. so. that .tiltingof either of said members is accompanied byicorre-fl sponding etilting of. the othermemben.

7. A reclining. chair... consisting,-, of a,- chainframe,.. a platepsupportedeim each-. sidetof said-i irameadapted to.have slidingtmovement therein, each. plate having ;f0re andmear curived .slotsthat.

. diverge downwardly respecting-,.eachiother, a seat;

pivotally connected-atthe .front. part thereof. to said. frame. and. slidably,;.engaged- .at its rear: end a in theiore slots in saidplates, -andeaaback-restta pivotally. mounted... at an intermediate, point! thereof in said framaand.slidably ;engaged at. its lower .end. in .the.rear-.-slots ;inz said-plates.

HOMERNIEDERHAUSER.

REFERENCES CITED The. 5followingirefierenceswanez of record in the file. +of..this1 patents.

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Name... Date 799,128 Wilmot et a1. ,Sept. 1251905 80.9,944- Hangerw; Jan; 16, 19062 1,918,261 Gilchga July .18; ;.1933.;:i 

